We were looking forward to the AWA 2022 September annual meeting. At the last minute we decided to drive to the conference from Texas. It would be a two-day trip, and it was an easy two-day trip. Getting on Interstate 20 until we arrived in Charleston, South Carolina. Would highly recommend driving the south with all kinds of potential stops to visit the Civil War History, as well as experiencing Southern Food and Hospitality.
The sessions at the conference were amazing. We left the conference learning a great deal about genetics and phenotype and how both play in the quality of the final beef product. Such needed sessions were provided on nutritional factors impacting the overall health and marbling. One of the more exciting sessions was the Wagyu Beef Marketing Panel. Great ideas on how to market Wagyu beef in specialty stores and on the web. Each participate gave an outstanding overview of their own marketing approach to the wagyu marketplace. Extemely insightful and the take aways fit each and every member attending, whether a seed stock breeder or a meat producer with ideas to move the wagyu breed ahead. Discussions on marbling and tenderness for the end user were a main focus at this year’s conference. Access from ranch to table is becoming more of a trend, where the ranches are doing their own websites and distributions. Great benefits for end users.
Attending the conference is always a great opportunity to network with new breeders, as well as long time cattle ranches. An environment of sharing is what the American Wagyu Association creates at the annual meetings. I loved that we had the opportunity to share information with some very new breeders. Always great to reconnect with other ranches to exchange information or just complain together about the Texas drought.
Next year the Texas 2023 Wagyu Association Annual meeting will be held in our own backyard, Ft. Worth Texas. We are thrilled. Along with the Annual meeting, the Wagyu World Conference 2023 will also be hosted in Ft. Worth.